It's the late 1990s, in a town on the Costa Blanca. A teenage prodigy is struggling for motivation in practice. His frustrated coach decides to teach him a lesson and locks him in a dark two-metre square cupboard used to store tennis balls. Despite his pleas for freedom, he's left there for several hours, with only some bread and water for company. When he's eventually set free, he decides to quit the sport and goes to work on a construction site, only to return to tennis a week later.

The incarcerated player in question here is David Ferrer, and the story probably goes some way towards explaining why the once work-shy Spaniard has transformed himself into one of the fiercest competitors on tour (the coach in question, Javier Piles, is still employed by Ferrer today, by the way, and Ferrer now regards his childhood tormentor as like a second father).

Known as "The Wall", "Le Grinder" and "Little Beast", Ferrer is a player who doesn't seem to know what a lost cause means. Scurrying across the baseline from corner to corner, he chases down every ball and wears opponents down with his unflinching refusal to give in. What the dogged, determined and diminutive world No6 lacks in height and power, he more than makes up for in heart, agility and a willingness to run. And run. And run.

It's a style not dissimilar to Andy Murray's. The Scot has a few more weapons in his armoury and zip in his shots, but of course he too loves to run and duke it out from the back of the court. If Murray's suspect back holds up, we could be here for hours and hours. I hope you're sitting comfortably.

2.55pm: Considering what's in store, at least there's time to go and fetch a pre-match banana, isotonic drink and energy bar. That's because the Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is taking her time on Suzanne Lenglen, she's level at four games all in the final set against Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova, who accounted for the defending champion Li Na in the previous round and is looking to become the first qualifier to reach the semi-finals at Roland Garros.

3.05pm: Shvedova's resistance finally comes to an end as she hoiks a backhand into the tramlines. Kvitova advances 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and will now play Maria Sharapova, who bludgeoned her way to a 6-2, 6-3 win over Estonia's Kaia Kanepi. What with all the talk about Novak Djokovic attempting to become the first man in 43 years to hold all four majors at the same time, it's almost been forgotten that Sharapova can complete a career grand slam too this week.

The first email. You know who it's from. "Interesting story re Ferrer being locked in the cupboard," says Gary Naylor. "Of course, such stories don't always have such happy endings. Which leads me to wonder why tennis seems so extreme in its coaching of young talent. I guess sporting success does demand sacrifice, discipline, single-mindedness etc, but why are there so many tales of borderline psychopathological behaviour in tennis? Surely more than most other sports outside the GDR gymnasiums of the 70s and 80s."

Murray and Ferrer are out on court. Those pesky Parisians don't seem to have entirely forgiven Murray for having the audacity to beat the Frenchman Richard Gasquet on Monday, I'm sure I detected the odd boo there. Let it go.

Ominous stat time. These two have met three times on clay and Murray has lost all three – in Barcelona in 2006, and in Rome and Madrid two years ago. While Murray, contending with injury and that drama queen accusation, has twice flirted with defeat in his opening four matches, Ferrer has been playing some of the best tennis of his career on his favourite surface. The Spaniard is yet to drop a set and has conceded only 25 games, and never more than four in any set. How decidedly undramatic.

Positive stat time. Murray leads 5-4 in their overall head-to-head and won their only previous grand-slam meeting, in Australia last year. While he is looking to reach his sixth straight major semi-final, Ferrer has only twice reached the last four. Murray is the one with the grand-slam pedigree.

Weighing it all up, recent form means Ferrer should be regarded as the favourite (and that's the way the bookies see it). But Murray is meaner. Back spasms permitting, I have a feeling he could sneak through. Eventually.

Tok, tok, tok, they're warming up. Not that you'd know it wasn't for real, Ferrer already has his game face on, taking it as seriously as he will the rest of the match. Murray is once again clad in grey and luminous orange, Ferrer is wearing a more understated white and blue/grey number.

First set: Murray* 0-1 Ferrer (*denotes next server)So much for feeling each other out here, both players have burst out of the blocks, the highlight from Murray a fierce backhand on the second point which whistles past a scampering Ferrer. From 30-all, Ferrer calmy dispatches a forehand overhead, and then on the next point he charges into the net to put away a drive volley. A typically business-like start from the no-nonsense Spaniard.

First set: Murray 1-1 Ferrer*Murray's serve will be very important today against one of the game's great returners, and he charges 40-0 ahead, as Ferrer completely flaps at an overhead. Ferrer comes back with the next two points, but Murray wins a game of cat and mouse at 40-30, successfully scampering back to retrieve a seemingly perfect lob from Ferrer, and he pumps his fists as he gets on the board.

First set: *Murray 1-2 Ferrer"I'm confused about what lesson locking somebody in a cupboard is supposed to teach them," says Bruce Harper. "Could you advise, so I can be sure to use it on the right person at the right time?" Um, I'm not sure I can condone such behaviour, Bruce, but I'm sure Ferrer's coach will tell you it had the desired results. As if to prove the point, Ferrer scurries around to go 40-30 ahead. But Murray pulls the trigger, firing a ferocious forehand. Advantage Murray, first break point. He unleashes again, but this time he nets. Deuce. Advantage Murray. Deuce. Advantage Ferrer. Jeu Ferrer. Murray will rue his missed opportunities there, but at least he's forcing the issue. Ferrer squeaks through.

First set: Murray 1-3 Ferrer*The first real danger for Murray at 30-40 down. He plays the perfect point, serving out wide and then ripping an unstoppable backhand winner down the line. Deuce. But he then undoes all his fine work with an unforced error to give Ferrer advantage. Ferrer runs left and right and left and right and Murray nets. That's seven unforced errors in four games for Murray.

First set: *Murray 1-4 FerrerFerrer consolidates the break with the quickest of service games, the highlight a darting backhand down the line from the second toughest Spaniard in tennis. As for the toughest Spaniard of them all, Rafa Nadal, he's taken the first set on a tie-break, 7-4, against Nicolas Almagro on Philippe Chatrier. I'll try and keep you up to date with that match when I can.

First set: Murray 2-4 Ferrer*A moment of controversy on the second point. Murray misses his first serve, but because he was being distracted by some rowdy spectators coming in, the umpire gives him the benefit of the doubt and offers him the first serve again. Ferrer looks less than impressed, but regroups, and edges 15-30 ahead. A wonderful point follows, Murray eventually prevails, and he then backs it up with a perfectly-measured drop shot. 40-30. Deuce. Ace down the T, advantage Murray. Game. An important hold to stop Ferrer's flow.

And this from Gary Naylor: "Like Mr Harper, I am unsure of the specific benefit of being locked in a cupboard, but it's the sort of thing that happened often to Andy Murray's fellow Scot, Ivor Cutler during his formative years and it didn't seem to do him any harm (Though if Ferrer reaches for a sponge too often, I'd suggest he should call for a comfort break)."

First set: *Murray 2-5 FerrerFerrer is suddenly getting a bit tense here. His shoulders visibly tightened, he throws in his first double fault of the day – going at least a metre long on the second serve – to slip 15-40 down. But Murray blinks and it's deuce. Murray almost takes out a stranded Ferrer with a vicious swipe, advantage Murray. Deuce. Advantage Murray. Deuce. Advantage Ferrer. Deuce. Advantage Ferrer. Deuce – you don't have anywhere to get to, do you? – advantage Ferrer. Cue some Murray mumblings – "that used to be your best shot, best shot" – jeu Ferrer. A marathon seventh game is eventually won by the Spaniard. Murray must hold serve to stay in the first set. But there is one positive for him: after the partisan Parisian crowd's earlier boos, he got a few cheers there.

First set: Murray 3-5 Ferrer*Murray's body language is a little subdued here. He slumps 15-30 down, before rousing himself with a forehand strike. And another. But Ferrer forges his way to deuce, and then runs around his backhand to rifle his favoured forehand down the line. Set point. Murray dismisses the danger with disdain, swatting away an unstoppable winner. Deuce. The longest rally of the match so far, 17 shots, and it's advantage Murray. He slices and dices on the next point to take the game. Ivan Lendl looks on impassively, chin in left hand, as he has for most of the tournament so far.

First set: *Murray 4-5 FerrerMurray forces the 5ft 9in Ferrer out of his comfort zone with a viciously high looping forehand, 0-15. A smart tactic. He does the same to get 15-30 ahead, and then sets up two break points, 15-40. He only needs the one, as Ferrer goes long with a lofted forehand. We're back on serve. Meanwhile Ian Burch has an image that will probably keep you going until well into the third set: "Wouldn't it have been better that after Ferrer had been locked in a closet that he came out looking like Robert Smith of the Cure in their 'Close to me' video?"

Ferrer wins the first set 6-4We've already hit the hour mark and we're still in the first set. There aren't many cheap points going here. That said, a terrible volley from Murray and it's 0-30. The world No4 grimaces, gathers himself and wins the next three points. 40-30. A war of attrition on the next point, and Murray eventually slices into the net. Deuce. Advantage Murray. Deuce. Murray nets a backhand volley – advantage Ferrer. And then Murray nets again with a shocker of a forehand - game and set Ferrer. A subdued end to a high-quality set of tennis. Nadal, meanwhile, is on the verge of going two sets to love up against Almagro.

Second set: *Murray 4-6, 1-0 FerrerJim Courier on ITV4 is talking about the need for Murray to use his height advantage more, by throwing in more looping balls, while mixing up the slice and speed, to counter Ferrer's flat strokes. Murray seems to be listening, because he breaks to 15 quicker than you can say "jeu Murray".

Second set: Murray 4-6, 1-1 Ferrer*... but then he's broken quicker than you can say "jeu Ferrer". A strange start to this second set, made all the stranger by James Gifford's email re Ferrer being locked in a cupboard: "Sounds to me like R Kelly missed a trick not having Ferrer in his frankly mental rap-opera-breakdown 'Trapped in the closet' series if you ask me. It's here, in case you need reminding."

And now it's raining. The players seem keen to come off, but the umpire skips down from his chair and tells them to stay on. Carlos Ramos makes an announcement to the spectators, my limited French means all I can understand is "cinq minutes", so I guess they're going to wait five minutes to see what happens. Ferrer scurries off court for a comfort break, I'm going to follow his lead and do the same.

Ferrer is back quicker than I am. Gah! The scoreboard says 2-1 to Ferrer, so I can only assume it was a regulation hold. Though he could have done a somersault, pirouette and cartwheel on court for all I know.

Second set: Murray 4-6, 2-2 Ferrer*Sorry, I'm still catching up a bit here. At 40-30, Murray runs from corner to corner to corner to no avail, as Ferrer dispatches an overhead deep to his opponent's right. A wounded Murray rifles a forehand winner down the line, and then swats a backhand winner down the other line to hold. The statuesque Ivan Lendl is still sitting impassively, chin in left hand. Does he ever move?

Second set: *Murray 4-6, 2-3 FerrerFerrer holds to 30, in probably his quickest service game of the match. "Afternoon Katy,' says a cheery Simon McMahon. "Re your story about Ferrer and the locked cupboard. It is true, or is it really a metaphor you are using to highlight GBG working conditions at Guardian Towers? You know, in the same way that I have a 'friend' who drinks too much, can't hold down a job and has trouble attracting members of the opposite sex." Ha. It's true. I promise. In fact, here are some top tennis myths to keep you entertained.

Second set: Murray 4-6, 3-3 Ferrer*Murray is in a funk. It seems to be because the spider cam on the rails above is moving into his eyeline when he gets ready to serve. Distracted, he slips 30-40 down. But then steadies himself to hold.

Second set: *Murray 4-6, 4-3 FerrerA beauty of a backhand from Murray at 15-all, as he takes advantage of a slightly shorter ball, leaps into the air, and rifles it down the line. But it goes from the sublime to the ridiculous on the next point. "WHAT IS THAT?" he shouts. 30-all. 30-40. And there's the break. "C'MON," he yelps.

Second set: *Murray 4-6, 4-5 FerrerFerrer comes through to 30, as I quickly give Nick Pearce's email a legal once over: "Didn't Boris Becker allegedly impregnate a Russian model in a cupboard? In fact you don't even need to include 'allegedly' as he admitted it. What is it with tennis players and cupboards? Should I spend time in one to improve my game?"

Second set: Murray 4-6, 5-5 Ferrer*Murray could do with a few cheap points here, but his first-serve percentage is down at 53% for the match, and he's only won 59% of the points when his serve has gone in. He needs to improve on those stats (could it be related to his back problems?), but holds to 30. And here's a panicked David Keech: "Being locked in a closet for hours would never work on me. As I am extremely claustrophobic I would probably be dead from multiple panic attacks causing a heart attack within 15 mins. Even if I survived, I would never pick up a tennis racquet ever again in my life. Think about the potential impacts of such actions before carrying them out. Even reading about it has caused a mild panic attack at my office."

Second set: *Murray 4-6, 5-6 Ferrer"The Wall" holds to 15, forcing Murray to serve to hang on to the second set. And here's Gary Naylor: "Isn't tennis' greatest myth that you have to start playing as a Steffi Graff like precocious toddler with a big forehand at three in order to make it into the top echelons of the game? Most other sports have late developers - examples of players who merely dabbled until they were in their mid-teens, so why not tennis? Some top flight batsmen in cricket hardly held a bat until their bowling got them a start in the game and hitting a tennis ball can't be too far from hitting a cricket ball can it? Sure it may be exceptional to reach the top without going through a nightmarish childhood of hitting ball after ball after ball, but talent will out won't it?" I can't think of any examples Gary, except maybe Michael Stich, I think he only decided to focus on tennis full-time from the age of about 17 or 18.

Second set: Murray 4-6, 6-6 FerrerA nerveless hold from Murray. 15-0, 30-0, 40-0, 40-15, game. We're into the tie-break. This could prove to be a crucial moment in the match.

Second set tie-break: Murray 5-1 FerrerMurray looks to have got the mini-break on the first point but mis-times his volley, and sends it long, 0-1. Murray takes the next two points on his serve, 2-1. Ferrer gifts Murray the first mini-break with a loose backhand into the tramlines, 3-1. And there's the second, 4-1. Unreturned serve, 5-1. The players change ends ...

Murray wins the second set tie-break 7-3... Murray goes for broke with a backhand down the line and misses by a fraction, 5-2. He then nets a forehand under pressure, 5-3, but recovers to carve out three set points, 6-3. And after some metronomic baseline play, Ferrer nets! We're all square. And even Lendl stands up to offer his applause. The bad news for Murray is that if he does go on to win, waiting in the semi-finals is a rather familiar foe. Rafa Nadal has continued his serene progress with a 7-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Nicolas Almagro.

Third set: Murray 4-6, 7-6, 1-0 Ferrer*The first two sets took 66 minutes. Each. The way this is going, they could be back tomorrow. There's still the threat of rain as well. Murray holds to 30, glances up at the grey skies, before trudging to his chair and having a word with the umpire. Uh-oh, the umbrellas are going up again ...

Il pleut. Ferrer only gets through the first point of his service game before play is suspended. The players are off, the covers are on, and this break will definitely be longer than the one we had early in the second set.

Brad Gilbert on Twitter:"All sudden raining hard and they are covering the court let's come back tomorrow and play best of three let me get some early dinner." Hear hear Brad. But I think the tournament organisers may have other ideas. They'll definitely wait a while before suspending play for the evening. It's approaching 7pm in Paris now, they can play until around 9pm. They'll want to finish this match tonight if at all possible.

That early dinner will have to wait. The rain has stopped, the court is being uncovered and we should be back under way by about 6.15pm. That's 7.15pm for you European types. Well you CET types anyway.

Third set: *Murray 4-6, 7-6, 1-1 FerrerThe court is now covered in sun. Sun! This is a bit like four seasons in one day. From 15-0, Ferrer takes a quick first point, before firing down a smash. He should really take the game to love but dumps his drive volley into the net. No bother, though. Murray goes long and Ferrer holds to 15. Matt Dony, meanwhile, mulls over the respecitive noises that Messrs Murray and Ferrer are emitting: "You're right that Ferrer and Murray share tone and timbre in their respective grunts, but Ferrer has turned his sustain down, whereas Murray revels in a little more reverb." So there you go.

Third set: Murray 4-6, 7-6, 1-2 Ferrer*Ferrer chases down a short ball with trademark ferocity and gritted teeth to haul himself level at 30-all. Murray nudges 40-30 ahead, but the players drag each other back and forth and back and forth on the next point and it's Murray who blinks first on the baseline. Egalité. Four advantage Murrays and four egalités later, Ferrer has the chance to break. That he does when he charges forward, and Murray can only send the attempted backhand pass into the net. Relentless play there from Ferrer, who simply refused to give up. Murray berates himself, as well he might after missing so many chances to take that game.

Third set: *Murray 4-6, 7-6, 1-3 FerrerSome angry and wild swings from Murray here. "THE ONE THING YOU'VE BEEN DOING WELL THE WHOLE MATCH, THE ONE THING" he screams. Ferrer holds to 15.

Third set: Murray 4-6, 7-6, 2-3 Ferrer*A muttering Murray has mentally checked out here, it's all very hit and miss at the moment. At 30-all Ferrer displays wonderful touch to dink over a drop shot, 30-40. Break point. Murray swats away the danger, before reeling off the next two points with another couple of winners. "Re tennis child prodigies didn't @andy_murray give up the game for football?" asks Mike Renshaw on Twitter. He was a promising footballer Mike, you're right. I'm not sure he gave up though. He was definitely invited to have a trial with Rangers, but he decided to turn them down to focus on tennis.

Third set: *Murray 4-6, 7-6, 3-3 FerrerThe perils of being a game-by-gamer. The multi-coloured umbrella of doom appears on my screen, and by the time my computer has roused itself into action again, Murray has broken to love. Some ultra-aggressive tennis from Murray there, firing off winner after winner, but I'm afraid I can't tell you much more than that. We're back on serve.

Third set: Murray 4-6, 7-6, 3-4 Ferrer*But no sooner does he break, than he's in danger of being broken. 0-15, 0-30, 0-40. An expletive or two follows. Murray saves the first break point with a vicious second serve out wide, which Ferrer can only prod into the tramlines. But Murray can't fend off the second, as he dumps a backhand volley into the net. Strange days. Murray has broken Ferrer four times, and every time he has lost his serve straight away.

Third set: *Murray 4-6, 7-6, 3-5 FerrerFerrer holds to 15, finishing things off by sprinting to the net like a greyhound, before whipping a forehand down the line. A straightforward hold after the craziness of the last few games. Murray will serve to stay in the set.

Ferrer wins the third set 6-330-0 to Murray quickly turns into 30-all. He berates himself again, this time it would seem over his serve. A baseline dual on the next, and it's Ferrer who prevails when Murray nets. 30-40, set point. A strong serve is backed up by a missile of an inside-out forehand from Murray, and it's deuce. Advantage Ferrer. Deuce. Advantage Ferrer. Murray goes so long on the third set point that the ball probably lands somewhere on the Champs-Elysées. And that's the set.

Fourth set: *Murray 4-6, 7-6, 3-6, 1-0 FerrerA player always seems to be at their most vulnerable immediately after winning a set, and so Ferrer proves here as Murray goes 30-40 up. And Murray breaks after a lung-busting exchange. "The caption under the picture of a grinning Murray at the top of the page reinforces his image as a dour Scot when in fact he is intelligent, articulate and witty," says Simon McMahon. "A bit similar to McEnroe in that respect. He obviously knows a thing or two about football as well as tennis, having had the foresight to turn down Rangers."

Fourth set: Murray 4-6, 7-6, 3-6, 1-1 Ferrer*So you know that stat I mentioned in game seven of the third set? Make it five. Again Murray is broken straight back, this time to 30.

Fourth set: *Murray 4-6, 7-6, 3-6, 1-2 FerrerA hold! But it wasn't easy. At 30-all, Ferrer successfully chases down a drop shot, before dinking over his own. Murray hurtles across the red dirt to no avail. Ferrer can't take the game point at 40-30 – and goes on to save a couple of break points – before he calmly taps the clay off his shoes, and sends down an ace. His second of the game. It's twice as many as he's served in the rest of the match.

Fourth set: Murray 4-6, 7-6, 3-6, 1-3 Ferrer*I should have mentioned that at one point during that last game Murray screamed: "I'M TRYING MY TITS OFF." That has to be one of the best mid-match Murray mutterings I've heard. But trying his tits off isn't enough at the moment, he's broken to 15 and is on the brink.

Fourth set: *Murray 4-6, 7-6, 3-6, 1-4 FerrerGetting the ball to bounce twice on Ferrer's side of the court is no mean feat, as Murray shows at 15-all when he finishes off a gruelling exchange with an exquisite drop shot. But an effective serve out wide gives Ferrer the chance to consolidate the break, and Murray lashes at the backhand return on the next point. Ferrer holds to 30 and this match is starting to slip beyond Murray's grasp.

Fourth set: Murray 4-6, 7-6, 3-6, 2-4 Ferrer*The crowd, perhaps sensing the end is nigh, partake in a bit of a Mexican wave before Murray steps up to serve. 40-15 turns into deuce before you know it. Another break here would surely be fatal. Murray desperately stretches at a forehand volley, and it drops in. His advantage. Deuce. A whistling forehand cross-court winner, a second advantage. And Murray holds when Ferrer goes long. A big hold.

Fourth set: *Murray 4-6, 7-6, 3-6, 2-5 FerrerCan Ferrer see this one through? The 30-year-old's got to be feeling the nerves as he attempts to reach the French Open semi-finals for the first time. He doesn't have the pedigree Murray has when it comes to closing out big, big matches like this. Murray has a break point chance at 30-40 but he can't convert. He gets another a few points later – after a soft double fault from Ferrer, his fifth of the day – but again it goes begging. And Ferrer edges through.

Meanwhile, Simon McMahon is back: "The French is always going to be the grand slam Murray is least likely to win so he shouldn't be too disappointed if he loses today. His aggression bodes well for the rest of the year. And anyway, what self-respecting dour Scot wouldn't rather wait until Wimbledon in Jubilee year to break their duck in the slams?"

Ferrer beats Murray 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2Murray must be listening to you Simon. 0-15 quickly becomes 0-30. An outrageous forehand on the run pings right on the line, 15-30. But it's a brief resistance. Murray clutches as his stomach, he's struggling, and it's 15-40, two match points. The power on the first serve is down, but a tight Ferrer nets his return, 30-40. Murray goes wide and it's game, set, match Ferrer. Ferrer points to his team, and whips off his headband, while Murray is in a hurry, he scampers off court in double-quick time.

Credit to Ferrer, he did what we expected, and it was a solid win. Murray had his chances though, but was far too inconsistent: 59 unforced errors for the match – most on the forehand side – is far too many. He'll be frustrated with the way he was unable to consolidate the breaks, but considering his recent injury problems, hopefully he won't beat himself up too much about a quarter-final exit. Last week it didn't look like he would have made it this far.

So for Murray, fitness-permitting, it's on to defend his title at Queen's next week, for Ferrer it's the small matter of a semi-final on Friday against the imperious Rafa Nadal. Thanks for your emails, sorry I couldn't use them all. Bye.